Inventory Coordination Functionality for Harmonizing Procurement Across Distribution Networks

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media that can be used to provide inventory coordination functionality for harmonizing procurement across distribution networks. Responsive to initiating a change to an order guide that is used to order products for a facility, a demand signal can be generated that is indicative of a change in demand for a product that is provided by a distributor. Then, the demand signal can be provided to the distributor to facilitate a change in inventory for the product. Responsive to determining that the change in demand for the product is complete, the requested order guide change can be implemented, and the order guide can be used to place an order for the product for the facility.

1 . A computer-implemented method for coordinating inventory changes, comprising:
 initiating a change to an order guide that is used to order products for a facility;   generating a demand signal based on the change to the order guide, the demand signal indicative of a change in demand for a product that is provided by a distributor;   providing the demand signal to the distributor such that the demand signal can be used to facilitate a change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor;   determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete;   implementing the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete; and   using the order guide to facilitate placement of an order for the product that is provided by the distributor for the facility after implementing the change to the order guide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide comprises receiving a request to replace a first product that is on the order guide with a second product that is not on the order guide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete comprises determining that an inventory level for the product that is provided by the distributor exceeds a threshold inventory level; and   the method comprises determining the threshold inventory level by evaluating the change to the order guide relative to one or more rules.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete comprises determining that an inventory level for the product that is provided by the distributor exceeds a threshold inventory level; and   the method comprises determining the threshold inventory level by applying the change to the order guide to one or more models.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the demand signal to the distributor comprises providing the demand signal to the distributor responsive to determining that the change in demand for the product is above a threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising causing a user interface to present an indication that the change to the order guide is pending responsive to determining that the change in demand for the product is above a threshold. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete comprises accessing purchase order information for the product via a database associated with the distributor through an application programming interface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 initiating the change to the order guide comprises initiating a change to a general order guide that is used to facilitate creation of a first facility order guide that is used to order products for a first facility and a second facility order guide that is used to order products for a second facility:   generating the demand signal comprises generating a first demand signal and a second demand signal based on the change to the general order guide, the first demand signal indicative of a first change in demand for a first product that is provided by a first distribution center that serves the first facility, and the second demand signal indicative of a second change in demand for a second product that is provided by a second distribution center that serves the second facility;   providing the demand signal to the distributor comprises providing the first demand signal to the first distribution center such that the first demand signal can be used to facilitate a first change in inventory for the first product that is provided by the first distribution center and providing the second demand signal to the second distribution center such that the second demand signal can be used to facilitate a second change in inventory for the second product that is provided by the second distribution center;   determining that the change in inventory is complete comprises determining that the first change in inventory and the second change in inventory are complete;   implementing the change to the order guide comprises implementing a first change to the first facility order guide based on the change to the general order guide responsive to determining that the first change in inventory is complete and implementing a second change to the second facility order guide based on the change to the general order guide responsive to determining that the second change in inventory is complete; and   using the order guide to facilitate placement of the order comprises using the first facility order guide to facilitate placement of a first order for the first product that is provided by the first distribution center for the first facility and using the second facility order guide to facilitate placement of a second order for the second product that is provided by the second distribution center for the second facility.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 initiating a second change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility;   generating a second demand signal based on the second change to the order guide, the demand signal indicative of a second change in demand for a second product that is provided by the distributor;   determining that the second change in demand is below a threshold; and   implementing the second change to the order guide responsive to determining that the second change in demand is below the threshold.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising maintaining the order guide without implementing the change to the order guide until determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing the demand signal to the distributor such that the demand signal can be used to facilitate the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor comprises automatically placing a purchase order for the product on behalf of the distributor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide comprises initiating the change to the order guide responsive to receiving a user input requesting the change to the order guide from a user device, the method comprising:
 receiving a set of login information associated with the user via an application program interface;   responsive to receiving the set of login information, generating a request for authentication data associated with the user, wherein the authentication data includes credentials stored in a unified database; and   upon authentication, causing a user interface to be presented to the user via the user device;   wherein receiving the user input from the user submitted via the user device comprises receiving the user input from the user via the user interface.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein using the order guide to facilitate placement of the order for the product comprises providing the order guide to a procurement system, the procurement system configured to:
 use the order guide to populate a procurement system user interface that facilitates generation of the order such that the order includes the product that is provided by the distributor; and   place the order with the distributor based on a user input that is received via the procurement system user interface.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising implementing the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to receiving an approval of the change to the order guide. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility comprises initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to receiving a user input requesting the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility from a user device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility comprises automatically initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to determining that a supplier associated with the first product has stopped supplying the first product. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility comprises automatically initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility based on a price change associated with the first product. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility comprises automatically initiating the change to the order guide based on a group purchasing organization (GPO) contract. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 initiate a change to an order guide that is used to order products for a facility;   generate a demand signal based on the change to the order guide, the demand signal indicative of a change in demand for a product that is provided by a distributor;   provide the demand signal to the distributor such that the demand signal can be used to facilitate a change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor;   determine that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete;   implement the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete; and   use the order guide to facilitate placement of an order for the product that is provided by the distributor for the facility after implementing the change to the order guide.   
     
     
         20 . A system for coordinating inventory changes, comprising:
 memory comprising machine-readable instructions; and   processing circuitry configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to:
 initiate a user input from a user submitted via a user device, the user input requesting a change to an order guide that is used to order products for a facility; 
 generate a demand signal based on the change to the order guide, the demand signal indicative of a change in demand for a product that is provided by a distributor; 
 provide the demand signal to the distributor such that the demand signal can be used to facilitate a change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor; 
 determine that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete; 
 implement the change to the order guide that is used to order products for the facility responsive to determining that the change in inventory for the product that is provided by the distributor is complete; and 
 use the order guide to facilitate placement of an order for the product that is provided by the distributor for the facility after implementing the change to the order guide. 
   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first product and the second product are different products. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 initiating a second change to the order guide in conjunction with the change to the order guide;   generating a second demand signal based on the second change to the order guide, the second demand signal indicative of a second change in demand for a second product that is provided by the distributor;   providing the second demand signal to the distributor such that the second demand signal can be used to facilitate a second change in inventory for the second product that is provided by the distributor; and   implementing the second change to the order guide responsive to implementing the first change to the order guide or responsive to determining that the second change in inventory for the second product that is provided by the distributor is complete.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the change in demand for the product that is provided by the distributor comprises an increase in demand for the product that is provided by the distributor; and   the second change in demand for the second product that is provided by the distributor comprises a decrease in demand for the second product that is provided by the distributor.